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It can be maddening; you are all set up for your next hygiene patient and the hour comes and goes with no sign of your patient.  Your highly trained, well-paid hygienist is now stocking supplies instead of helping someone improve their oral (and systemic) health.  It happens more often than any of us care to admit.  Lost opportunities can really add up over the course of a week or month.  Some estimate it could be more than $6 million in lost revenue throughout a dental career. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Take the time to implement a few extra steps to help your dental practice run like a finely tuned machine.

Appointment Reminders

Are you taking a one and done approach to reminding patients? Although it takes time to implement a multifaceted appointment reminder system, it will be worth it in the long run.  There are many options available in the marketplace but practice management software like YAPI  (and there are many) can help keep dental appointments top of mind for patients and offer their proven, best practice approach to communicating upcoming visits on various platforms. The purpose is not to annoy your patient but to recognize that life is busy and you are here to help patients get the care they need.

Run a tight ship

On the same note, no one has time to wait on a dental office that is running behind. Not only does this irritate patients, it can position your practice for a bad online review.  In the mind of the patient, it also discredits you as a doctor. Be a wo/man of your word.

• Keep regular hours that patients can consistently rely on. It frustrates patients to call an office that says it is open and yet they cannot get anyone on the phone.
• Do not reschedule patients unless absolutely necessary and do not overbook.
• Consider a prepayment discount–it is a service for patients and gives them a greater sense of commitment to honoring the appointment

Patients are following your lead, be certain you are setting the right example.

Be nice

This may seem obvious but people do business with people they like.  And you are running a business, the service you offer is dentistry. We suggest the four-minute rule in our dental practice. Clinicians spend about 4 minutes discussing anything other than teeth. We always try to keep conversation light and positive but take a genuine interest in the lives of our patients. This type of rapport can go a long way if your schedule gets derailed and a patient is not seen at their appointment time. As a general rule, people will try not to disappoint people they like. Be likeable and ensure that your team is doing the same.

Be kind but firm

When patients continue to disrespect your time, you have to show them that you are serious about respecting their time, the well-being of your team and time of your other patients with a set cancellation policy and subsequent fee. This is often enough to stop them from becoming repeat offenders.

As hard as you work to attract patients, sometimes you have to let go. It is a difficult decision to dismiss a patient. However, you must ask yourself- are you actually benefitting from a repeat no show offender? Work with your partner, a business consultant or your office manager to determine the threshold for dismissal.

Want more information on how to be the master of your dental practice schedule? Join Dr. Bobbi Stanley at her next Dental Entrepreneur Summit!

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We have all been there. You have called on your training, delivered amazing patient care in your state of the art office and given a brilliant treatment plan that will produce a beautiful solution to your patient’s problem. After all, you are a trained dentist and your ultimate goal is to help this person look and feel better. All that remains is for the patient to say yes to your advice. Sounds easy right?  And yet, you are getting more “I’ll think about it” than “Yes, doctor. Sign me up!”

No one has 100% case acceptance and that is ok. You must realize that you cannot win them all. There are people who will choose to do nothing, some will price shop and go with the cheapest fix in town and there are folks that are just not ready to move forward right now. You must recognize this and adjust what you can influence—your delivery.

Know your patient

Listen to your patient’s reasons for the visit. Is it utility? Cosmetic concerns?  Something else? It is easy to project your own thoughts into the conversation—and they may be irrelevant to your patient. When you understand your patient’s motivations, you can address them specifically in your treatment plan.

Be the authority your patient thinks you are

Whatever the reason— an advertisement, a referral or your fancy website, this patient chose you because you are an authority. Do not make them question their decision to find a dental solution by being wishy-washy. Even if the ink is not yet dry on your dental school diploma, BE THE AUTHORITY! Deliver your plan with confidence. You are a doctor giving your best recommendation for treatment. Whether cosmetic or restorative, the patient is seeking a resolution—show them the way!

Be succinct

No one wants a data dump. In our dental practice, we limit plans to three options—good, better, best. This provides clear direction for the patient to make a decision and helps to avoid analysis paralysis.  Use the “Just the facts ma’am” approach. Very few patients care about the science behind the solution—get to the point.

Do not “sell”, be FABulous!

In the same way no one wants an information overload, no one appreciates being “sold” on something. When purchasing real estate, the buyer wants a lifestyle; they do not want to be sold brick and mortar.  Patients want to know the end result and how it will benefit them, not necessarily how you will achieve these results. Instead of “selling”, focus on:

Feature:  Fully Guided Dental Implants

Advantage: Predictable, tooth replacement that can last for a lifetime

Benefit: It looks, feels and functions like natural teeth.

Buying decisions are made with emotion and justified with logic

People buy based on emotion and dentists are the only ones that get excited about dental technology. When presenting treatment, you want your patient to imagine a happier life free of dental pain, missing teeth or a displeasing smile. Paint that picture vividly for them. Use your words, visual aids such as patient portraits displayed around your dental clinic and a smiling, well-groomed team to underscore the value of the smile you can deliver.

Stop talking.

Many people are uncomfortable with silence but you must stop speaking so the patient can digest the information you have just given. It does not matter how concise your presentation, most patients will need a minute to think about your discussion and form an opinion.

Listen up!

It seems illogical to embrace objections but that is exactly what you must do. When someone objects or raises a question, you are on your way to acceptance. You read that right—objections represent interest.  When a patient objects:

Listen.

Empathize.

Validate the concern.

Overcome the obstacle.

You are not alone. Many new dentists and seasoned clinicians find it difficult to discuss expensive dentistry with patients. Adopting these simple tips can help you confidently deliver treatment plans that accomplish your ultimate goal—helping people live pain-free, happy lives.

Are you ready to take your dental business to the next level? Join nationally renowned speaker Dr. Bobbi Stanley at her next Business for Dentists course

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It is really easy to focus on getting new patients. Isn’t that the metric all dentists should care about most? Short answer, not necessarily. While renewing your practice with a steady stream of new patients is vital to your success, keeping your current patients is equally, if not more important. Statistics show that it is six to eight times more expensive to attract new patients than to keep existing patients.

Realize that patient retention is your #1 marketing strategy

As dentists it is easy to get sucked into one scheme after the other to get dozens of new patients every month. Of course you need to be adding new patients to the roster to balance the number of patients you will lose due to unavoidable reasons (moving, death, etc). What about the patients that could be saved? Is there anything you can do? YES! There are many small steps you can take to make a BIG difference; and your efforts should begin well before patients are asking you to transfer their records.

Why do patients choose you (and continue to choose you) for their dental care?

Let’s face it—dentistry is expensive.  No one wants to spend money on dental work.

Experience tells us that people choose to spend based on two things: how we make them feel and/or a viable solution to their issue. For dental concerns, we can definitely solve problems, but do we make them feel content and valued in the process? The patient experience is everything—make a great impression from Day 1!

From their first contact, make their experience astonishingly great!  

Six tips for keeping patients for life:

1. Make your website professional- It’s 2019, there really is no excuse.
2. Have a live person answer the phone–how many times have you hung up on a voicemail vortex?
3. Know your patient’s names–use whatever trick is necessary. From software that includes patient pictures to the old school version of having an assistant prep you before you enter the operatory, there is no excuse and the effort is definitely noticed by the patient.
4. Be prompt. Patients should not have to wait to see the doctor—run your schedule efficiently.
5. No surprises at checkout- always inform before you perform.
6. Care enough to call– take a few minutes everyday to check in on patients that have had a procedure requiring anesthetic or sedation dentistry.

Try these pro tips for patient retention and let us know what you would add! Comment on our Facebook page or shoot us an email with your best ideas for keeping patients for life!

Looking for more? Try one of our business courses for dentists or consider inviting our doctors to speak to your dental study club.

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Stanley Institute for Comprehensive Dentistry is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Stanley, co-founder and Lead Implant Continuing Education Instructor has earned the distinction of Diplomate with the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry (ABOI). He joins an elite group of fewer than 500 dentists bearing this honor.

The ABOI was founded in 1969 by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) with the goal of elevating and standardizing the metrics, skills and abilities of Dental Implantologists in the United States through a rigorous certification and ongoing certification maintenance for qualified dentists. It is considered the premier implantology certifying body and is recognized by the American Board of Dental Specialties (ABDS).

ABOI Diplomate status is the highest level of achievement in implant dentistry. Diplomate certification requires:

• Active dental license in the US/Canada
• 7 or more years of implant dentistry experience
• completion of 75 implant cases
• successful completion of Part 1 and Part II of ABOI examination

Dr. Stanley began his professional career as a mechanical engineer and later returned to school to study dentistry and join his wife, Dr. Bobbi Stanley, in private practice in Cary NC. Their comprehensive approach to family dentistry allows him to focus on dental implants and oral surgery while she practices cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics. His uncommon perspective on dentistry combines his training in engineering with his knowledge of dentistry and dental implants. Together Drs. Stanley are able to plan and execute dental implants from start to beautiful finish for patients. In the classroom, they are able to teach other dentists how to provide the same standard of care for their patients.

In addition to placing implants for more than a decade, Dr. Stanley attended a yearlong course continuum at the Dental College of Georgia in 2017 to prepare for the written exam and oral case defense in March of 2018. The ABOI/ID exam assesses the knowledge, acumen and proficiency in implant placement with a rigorous exam—both written and oral—that tests all facets of implant dentistry. Students must prove competency in both surgical and restorative implant dentistry, as well as dental implant maintenance, to successfully complete the examinations, even if they do not practice in each of these areas of focus.

Dr. Robert Stanley is a lifelong learner. ABOI Diplomate status is the latest accolade Dr. Stanley has earned in his ongoing commitment to excellence in dentistry. He is also a Diplomate with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, certified by the Dental Organization of Conscious Sedation (DOCS) and an Adjunct Professor of Prosthodontics at his alma mater, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.

Dr. Rob said, “I look forward to continuing to share my passion for dentistry and engineering with Stanley Institute students looking for world class dental implant continuing education (CE). I absolutely subscribe to the ABOI motto, ‘Simply the Best, Forget the Rest’.”

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Dr. Bobbi Stanley was honored to speak at the International Association of Orthodontics annual meeting in Kauai, Hawaii. She lectured on the topic of “Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of TMJ Disorder”.

The International Association for Orthodontics (IAO) was founded in 1961 to promote international cooperation in the orthodontic field of dentistry. The IAO is comprised of general dentists, pediatric dentists and other dentists that provide orthodontic care to patients.

The International Association for Orthodontics is the oldest and largest of the national and international non-specialty orthodontic groups and exists to provide training and support to over 4000 dentists in more than 50 countries. Additionally the IAO studies and promotes awareness of the cause, treatment and prevention of malocclusion of the teeth and the resulting dysfunction, such as dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Dr. Stanley will be discussing how headaches and sleep apnea may be lesser-known indicators of temperomandibular disorder (TMD). Her presentation will be part of a larger speaker series at the meeting that will focus on common signs and symptoms of morbidity for difficult TMD, airway and class II orthodontic cases. Following the presentations, the group will be publishing an article in a scientific journal.

In addition to spotting signs of TMD, the dentists will focus on using orthodontics and managing the airway for better systemic health through improved oral health.

Dr. Bobbi Stanley is a Fellow with the International Association of Orthodontics, as well as a Senior Instructor at their Milwaukee Wisconsin headquarters.

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Drs. Robert and Bobbi Stanley and Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) Gayle Banic traveled to Orlando, FL on January 11 to attend the 2018 International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI) Winter Symposium where the focus was Maxillary Arch Reconstruction: Single Tooth to Full Arch.  ICOI is recognized as the world’s largest implant association and is the leading provider of dental implant continuing education in the world. In addition to continuing education opportunities, attendees were introduced to the latest innovations in dentistry by the preeminent authorities in dental equipment, tools and materials.

On the main podium speakers ranged from Dr. Michael Pikos who delivered a lecture about Fully Guided Full Arch Immediate Implant Reconstruction to Dr. Michael Tischler whose presentation centered around avoiding complications with Full Arch screw retained zirconia bridges. Additionally there were a myriad of presentations geared to dental auxiliaries that Gayle Banic attended.

Drs. Stanley are both diplomates with ICOI. The fully guided full arch immediate implant reconstruction protocol is one that is very familiar as it is the approach they use in delivering dental implant solutions in their Cary NC family dental practice and the standard being taught in the dental implant continuing education courses at Stanley Institute. “The ICOI experiences are always top notch. From the speakers to the facilities, the symposium is always a well-coordinated event”, said Dr. Robert Stanley. “We appreciate the caliber of speakers they bring to the stage because their philosophy and methodology is the same as ours at both our practice and Stanley Institute,” he continued.

By far, the highlight of the event was being able to recognize and celebrate Stanley Institute alumni Dr. Christopher Durusky, Dr. Jana Gyurina and Dr. Julia Mulnick as they received ICOI Fellowship status. “As partners with ICOI, it is an honor to see these dentists’ hard work and dedication come to fruition in such a significant way. They have earned a substantial achievement and we couldn’t be more proud. It’s a privilege to come alongside them as they accomplish this career milestone,” said Dr. Bobbi Stanley

Stanley Institute offers a variety of continuing education courses geared to all skill levels, from beginner to advanced placement of dental implants. In addition to clinical skills related to implantology like bone grafting, pharmacology and sinus lifts, the institute offers courses on a range of dental related topics such as the business of dentistry, including dental marketing, team incentives and dental financing, as well as,  dental photography classes. In 2018 Dr. Bobbi Stanley will begin offering orthodontic courses.

For more information about upcoming classes and to register, contact Continuing Education Director Catherine Shireman.

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